A deleted scene
by miraleeann
Summary: Just a short scene that I wrote for The Way It Could Have Been and never used.


**Author's Note: Okay so first of all please understand that when I want to write and for some reason my brain doesn't want to work, I tend to write useless scenes that I may never even use, which is where this came from. I suppose it belongs with The Way It Could Have Been universe but obviously it'll never appear in that story. **

**Way back when I first decided Rita Skeeter was going to be pranked, I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to be done and while I was brainstorming ideas about it, I came up with this as Sirius' reaction. **

**Now if you read my story you'll see that clearly this couldn't work at all because the prank wasn't harmless and the trio broke other rules while completing the prank but people on tumblr were asking me to share more things like this so I decided to.**

**And please excuse any typo's as this wasn't ever sent to my betas. I read over it about a hundred times but you know I'm only human and I may have missed something. **

**Enjoy!**

**Mira**

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><p>"Harry is this true?" Sirius asked in a stern voice.<p>

Harry found himself unable to take his eyes off of his hands which were resting in his lap.

"I asked you a question." Sirius' voice rang through the room once more.

"Yes," Harry nodded, his head still down. "Yes Sir."

He heard his godfather exhale loudly and he inwardly cringed at the sound of it.

"Luckily the Ministry is not aware of this situation and Harry we not be expelled, nor will Mr. Weasley or Ms. Granger," Dumbledore spoke.

"I hope you realize how extremely fortunate you are," Sirius spoke, his voice as stern as ever.

"I have also discussed the issue with Minerva and we both agree that there is no need to punish the children here at school, as this infraction did not occur at Hogwarts."

"Thank you," Sirius spoke, "I appreciate your understanding however I do think it's for the best that Harry comes home for the evening so that he and I may further discuss this."

At these words Harry's face blushed a deep shade of red and he couldn't help but raise his head. To his displeasure, as he did, he found Dumbledore giving him a sympathetic look.

"Of course Sirius, whatever you think is best."

"Thank you," Sirius spoke to Dumbledore before he stood. "Let's go Harry."

Quickly Harry stood. There was no way he was going to make Sirius ask him twice.

He followed Sirius to the door and once through it, down the spiral staircase.

Sirius was walking so quickly that Harry nearly had to jog to keep up with the man.

They were nearly to Remus' office when Harry saw Snape turn the corner ahead of them. It was at that moment that Sirius reached out and put his hand around the back of Harry's neck, directing him as he walked. Harry felt his ears begin to burn with shame. He wanted nothing more than to jerk himself away from Sirius but he knew better than to push his luck.

"I see Dumbledore has informed you what your menace of a godson has done," Snape spoke in a low voice.

Harry expected Sirius to lose it. After all, the man was already angry the last thing he probably wanted to hear was Snape. However, his godfather surprised him.

"Thank you for letting Dumbledore know about Harry's misbehavior," Sirius replied as he continued to walk past Snape, still guiding Harry.

"I do hope you plan to express to him just how foolish his actions were."

"As always Severus how I deal with my godson is absolutely none of your concern," Sirius replied in a tired voice as he pushed open the door to Remus' office and led Harry inside.

Remus was sitting behind his desk, a pile of papers that Harry immediately recognized as their latest homework assignment, was stacked in front of him.

On the few occasions in which Remus had been present when Sirius was angry with his godson, Remus had always showed the boy sympathy over the situation and so Harry was surprised to find that Remus looked just as angry as his godfather did.

Harry locked eyes with him for a moment in hopes of finding some sort of refugee, someone to defend him when he stopped by later to talk to Sirius, as Harry knew he would. He didn't find it though Remus merely dropped his head back to his work, saying nothing.

It was only when they stepped into the fireplace that Sirius took his grip off of Harry's neck.

Seconds later he stepped out in their living room. Sirius stepped out beside him and placed an elbow on the mantel, leaning against it.

"I'm sorry," Harry said in a soft voice, his eyes studying the top of his trainers. How in the world had he ever thought that pranking Rita Skeeter would be a good idea?

"I'm sorry too Harry," Sirius spoke after a few moments of silence, "and I'm embarrassed."

Harry felt his face growing warm with shame. He had wanted to look up at his godfather in hopes of finding something in the man's eyes other than anger but after those words he kept his eyes firmly on the ground.

Harry remained quiet waiting for the inevitable sentence of being sent to his room to wait for his godfather.

Sirius cleared his throat loudly before he spoke once more.

"I'm sorry that Snape is…is such a total and utter arse that he doesn't get a good prank when he sees one."

Harry's head snapped up to look at his godfather. There was no anger in the man's face, but amusement.

"Look," Sirius said as he leaned over to meet Harry eye to eye, "was it wrong to do what you did? Perhaps…but…and maybe this is the wrong thing for me to say as your parent…she had it coming."

Harry couldn't help the smile that broke out across his face or the small laugh that escaped from his mouth.

"You aren't mad?" Harry asked.

"Mad?" Sirius replied. "No I'm not mad at you…do you know how many people your dad and I pranked over the years? And people who didn't even deserve it…at least you had the decency to prank someone who deserved it. I'd be a hypocrite if I was mad at you Harry."

"Then why…in Dumbledore's office…and with Snape," Harry muttered confused, "And Remus…"

"I had to do something," Sirius explained. "Just because I'm not cross about this doesn't mean that other's aren't and I could hardly walk into Hogwarts acting as if I didn't have a care in the world over what you did, especially considering you aren't being punished at school for this."

"So it was all an act?"

Sirius nodded smiling as he straightened back up, "That it was Pup and clearly one better than I thought as I never meant to get you so worked up over it. Go change out of your school robes and I'll get lunch ready."


End file.
